Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Theologian, evangelist and apologist, Francis Schaeffer wrote a book entitled How Then Shall We Live.

This book was originally published in 1976 and in it Schaeffer suggested that

"There is a flow to history and culture.

This flow is rooted and has its wellspring in the thoughts of people.

People are unique in the inner life of the mind—what they are in their thought world determines how they act.

This is true of their value systems and it is true of their creativity.

It is true of their corporate actions, such as political decisions, and it is true of their personal lives."

In other words, Schaeffer was saying that how we think determines how we act and live.

He was proposing that we have big picture thinkers that should help orient us historically, theologically and ethically towards what God has called us to be.

He states, "This book is written in the hope that this generation may turn from the greatest wickedness, the placing of any created thing in the place of the Creator, and that this generation may get its feet out of the paths of death and may live.”

Although this was penned in 1976, it is still prevalent today.

We live in such a time where wickedness abounds.

Just pick up a copy of our local paper or just turn on the news and it doesn’t take one long to read or hear about horrendous crimes that are happening all around us.

We are guilty indeed of placing created things in the place of the Creator.

The question remains, How then Shall We Live?

Written around AD 64, this incredible book outlines for you and me the answer to this incredible question!

It’s author is Peter, the apostle that walked with Jesus, fought for Jesus, yet denied Jesus in a time of difficulty but was restored by Jesus in a beautiful example of what you and I can receive as well.

Listen closely or read along with me as share with you from .

1 Peter 1:1-25

Peter identifies himself as an apostle, one that was sent with a commission.

He doesn’t have any other title for himself.

He tells his readers that they are strangers in the world, scattered throughout the land.

Some translations might have dispersed, just like a farmer disperses his seed on the land.

As believers, we are God’s seed.

Interestingly God plants His seed wherever He chooses.

Sometimes this means He will use persecution to scatter the seed, such as mentioned in the Book of Acts concerning the stoning of the great man of faith Stephen:

Acts

Verse 2 outlines the plan of salvation: we are chosen by the Father, prompted by the Spirit, and cleansed by the blood of Christ.

Warren Weirsbe writes that “The Father chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world; the Son saved you when He died for you; but it took your surrendering to the Spirit to seal the transaction.

From here, Peter gives us an outline in this first chapter how you and I ought to live then in this hostile world.

Live in Hope

Verses 3-12 commands us to Praise our God for a Living Hope.

1 Peter 1:

You see, the unsaved person is without hope.

However, as a believer, you and I have a living hope because we have a Living Savior.

Christ is our HOPE!

1 Timothy

We are promised that He is coming again for us and our hope is not something we work for, but something we are given when we are born again!

It is a living hope and it is also a LASTING HOPE!

1 Peter 1:3-

If it can never perish is stays alive!

We have this living hope because it is eternal.

Our eternal security is not based on our faith but the faithfulness of our God!

We are reminded of God’s Faithfulness in verse 6

1 Peter

We all have had stuff that we have gone through!

But it is not permanent!

It is part of a process!

Did you see the time frame there?

A little while!

Even though as a child, you and I might have heard that phrase and it seemed like an eternity before we might be able to carry out that dream or desire, but as we have gotten older, we have a better understanding that a little while is short lived, it is not permanent!

1 Peter 1:7

Did you catch that?

Your faith is worth more than gold!

Your faith is being refined and processed to that it can increase and grow!

What happens when your faith grows?

Your HOPE grows!

Aren’t you glad that our God does this for us???

A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted!

Not only should we live in hope, we should live in HOLINESS!

Verse 6 reminds us that this

Live in Holiness

in verses 13-21, we see the blessed hope we have ought to make us live holy lives!

1 John 1:1

You and I ought to be different in our lives than those that apart from Christ!

WE can’t have a loose tongue and be holy!

Exodus

We can’t tell coarse jokes and be holy!

We can’t gossip and be holy!

We can’t be one thing on Sunday and something else on Sunday night!

We can’t drive down the road with a Christian bumper sticker on our car then flip off the person that pulls out in front of us!

I must confess that I had to ask for lots of forgiveness this week as I have studied and meditated on this passage!

I have had to pray, “Lord help me live a life of holiness!

Help me to be bold enough to make a difference for the kingdom by making my life holy!

1 Peter 1:

Oh my goodness!

Are you holy in all you do?

What would happen in our church if we ALL were HOLY in ALL we do??

What would happen in our town?

What would happen in our community?

What would happen in your life???

Listen, holy does not mean sinless perfection because that is impossible in this life:

1 John 1:

Being holy means set apart, separated unto God.

If we are the children of God, the apple should not fall far from the tree!

In other words, we should be holy because He is Holy!

We should live in holiness because of the sacrifice Christ paid on the cross for us!

It was with the perishable things like silver or gold by which we were saved from an empty life!

It was through the blood of Christ, the spotless lamb of God!

Our gratitude should be us surrendering our all to Him!

We are called to live in hope, we are called to live in holiness, and last, we are called to live in harmony!

1 Corinthians 6:

Live in Harmony

I was fortunate as a young boy to have both sets of my grandparents until I was about 9 years old.

In fact, they lived across the street from each other on Highland Avenue in Harmony, North Carolina.

If you have ever been to this little town in North Iredell County, you can see what makes it so unique.

It one time was like a little Mayberry....everyone knowing everyone else, the front porch was the community center, the gardens were shared and lives were lived together.

Everybody knew everybody.

One of the things that makes our church a great church, is that we live in Harmony!